Reading/Spelling - do you visualise?

[PenElse]

I'm doing a little bit of research, and would really appreciate any responses on the following (for you, and your child if possible)

POLL: Can you mentally picture a word like 'cabbage' or 'bike' (for small kids) clearly enough to spell it backwards? Are you a good speller?

1. Yes - I'm a good speller
2. Yes - I'm a poor speller
3. No - I'm a good speller
4. No - I'm a poor speller

Are you and your child the same? Different?

Thank you!

Pen

I'm a good speller but I don't visualise the letters in the word, I visualise the whole word I think. DH often asks me to spell words and I automatically know the shape of the word and the amount of letters in it. I don't really see all the letters though and I wouldn't be able to spell it backwards quickly, I'd have to really think about that, and probably painstakingly visualise each letter.

I find it difficult to write words when someone calls out the spelling - I have to ask them to go slower, or repeat it twice. If someone asked me a very difficult spelling I would have to write it down I think.

I remember sitting with my sons reception teacher and her using 'au' as an example digraph in a reading workshop. It was a light bulb moment. Suddenly restaurant, launch, gaunt etc were spellable, not just mystery words with random letters. I wish someone had told me when I was little. I learnt to read at home so the whole phonics thing has been a revelation.
I'm going to add etymology to my techniques now as well.

@Norestformrz Or rhino / ceros - easier when it's split in some handy way.

Not if you’re visualising purple frogs !

One little game I do with ds is to say "how many letter E's are there in hello?"

In order to answer the question he has to visualise the word, so it seems to help.

1 for me. I definitely visualise words, often they will "appear" in my mind when I say them. Not sure about dd as she's only in reception, but so far seems to be taking well to the phonics approach, if that helps at all.

In order to answer the question he has to visualise the word, so it seems to help.

Or simply spell it?

I am quite good speller, as a non native English speaker. My ds is exceptionally good speller.
I don't visualise, just segment the word. Not totally sure about ds not visualising, but he also mumbles and segment the word when spelling long/tricky words.

I visualise the spelling of words especially names when I hear them for the first time. And I've always been good at spelling. I suspect that 2 of my 3 children are the same as they are both very good at spelling. The three of us were all early to read too.

I can't visualise and nor can my DS1. (DS1 also has a dx of ASD).
Both are good spellers.

DS2 can visualise. He'd fall in the good at spelling category, but it doesn't come as easily to him as it does to DS1.

Can you visualise a word you’ve never seen written down?

Ds is a very good speller, he couldn't spell a word backwards but he does see it in his mind. I used to be a poor speller, however now I can spell most words without error. I find it easier to type words rather than write them. I am planning to get dd to use touch type read and spell because her spelling is very poor due to Irlens and visualising wouldn't help her.

1 - me and DD1
4- DD2

Both kids are very bright and at Grammar school.
DD1 never had to practise for spelling tests at primary - just looked at the list and could remember them.
DD2 really struggled and has even been to lunchtime spelling club in Seniors.
Interestingly DD2 is the one who gets Maths much more readily.

I just asked my ds to spell few words backwards. He does that instantly without hesitation. Asked him if he sees the word in his head, his answer was "not really".

Norest yes. When I hear a word for the first time I can picture how it is spelled / how many letters in it etc.

In order to answer the question he has to visualise the word, so it seems to help.

Or simply spell it?

It's easier to spell a word that you can see

It's a 1 from me.

“When I hear a word for the first time I can picture how it is spelled / how many letters in it etc.” Wow that’s very impressive! You accurately know what something you’ve never seen looks like.

I said I can picture it, not that I know for sure. Why the funny face? People do think differently.

It’s probably a unique skill being able to accurately imagine something you’ve never seen before.

I find spelling very difficult. I have to break words down and think of tricks to help me remember. My eldest is the same. We can both pick out the correct word in a list with incorrect spellings but can't spell ourselves. Very frustrating.

We're also good readers too. I'd like to know how to make things easier really!

Norestformrz

It’s probably a unique skill being able to accurately imagine something you’ve never seen before.

Not that unique, as I can do it too. I don't find it that hard to imagine how to spell a word I've never seen, there are plenty of rules you can follow to get you there.

It's not like you're trying to imagine the thing that the word means, that would be hard!

“I don't find it that hard to imagine how to spell a word I've never seen, there are plenty of rules you can follow to get you there.” So you’re not visualising the word you’re using your knowledge of how our writing system to work out how to spell it (which is what we do in Phonics).

I use a mix, I think. Sometimes I visualise the word written down and then spell it, sometimes I segment it and spell in chunks. I remember being asked to spell words backwards in primary, and the visualising was how I did it back then.

Recently in my class, one of the children asked me to spell a word I'd never heard before (I'm thinking it was a holiday location?), and I sounded it, tried it myself and then we checked online.

Me - 1. Very visual, very good speller.
DS - as above.
DD - terrible speller. She’s a strange learner. With music for example she struggles with scales but has exceptional musicality - can repeat a piece exactly having heard it once. So maybe much more aural than visual.